What Matters Most
by Silver-White Wings
Summary: Ron has always been very protective of his family. Especially his sister. But how far is too far?


**Author's Note: **Hiya!

This is kinda my first fanfic, but it's also not. I've uploaded before, but I deleted it because I didn't like it. This idea just randomly popped into my head, and I _had_ to write it. Because I thought it was kinda cool, and true to the characters (in my opinion, anyway).

I probably need a beta, even though I'm a complete grammar and spelling freak, and I always do research to make sure I've got facts right. All of the spells in this are real spells used or mentioned in the books, whether it sounds familiar or not.

This was going to be a one-shot, but then my brain introduced another idea near the end, so I think I'll continue it. ^^

Anyway, read now, and please review! I want to know if I'm entertaining or annoying or boring people... or if anyone reads this at all, really.

* * *

**What Matters Most**

**Chapter One:  
Unexpected Happenings**

Ron and Hermione sat in the homely kitchen of their reasonably-sized cottage. They were fairly newlywed, and were in the process of settling down together. Harry and Ginny were slightly ahead of them, and had wed before them, but as far as Ron and Hermione knew, children were out of the equation for the time being, and Ron was thankful for this.

The two of them had just gotten home from a tiring day at the ministry; Ron worked under Harry (the head of office) in the Auror office, and Hermione occasionally flitted between departments, working to change things that weren't right in various areas, and constantly fighting to give house elves more rights (which was a losing battle in Ron's opinion, though he never voiced it around his wife, because she seemed perfectly happy and would explode if he did). There had been a bit of trouble recently with a few rogue Death Eaters who wanted vengeance for their deceased Dark Lord more than anything, which meant that their number one target was his vanquisher; Harry. Then came Ron and Hermione, since it was common knowledge by now that they had both played an essential part in Voldemort's death. There were only about five of them, but they were all very skilled, and had tortured and murdered a holidaying family of muggles from Germany before a group of some of the most skilled aurors in office (including Harry and Ron of course) had caught up with them. Two of them had been apprehended, one had been killed by a curse from one of his companions that had very narrowly missed Harry's ear, and two had escaped. In return, the Death Eaters had injured four of their own seven aurors; one quite seriously, but it looked as though he would make a full recovery, two had been knocked out cold and concussed in addition to other minor injuries, and the last, Ron (no less), had simply broken his wrist and gotten Hermione to fix it for him when he got home. The Ringleader of the little Death Eater group had been confirmed as none other than Rodolphus Lestrange, who was almost as insane and deadly and devoted to Voldemort as his dead wife, Bellatrix, had been. He and his accomplice, whose identity was yet unknown, had fled using Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder ("We need to have a serious chat to George about who he sells his stuff to. This is the second time it's been used against us!" Ron had complained to Harry), so that Harry, Ron, and the other two uninjured (apart from minor cuts and bruises, of course) had been forced to take their comrades, the dead Death Eater (for identification reasons), and the two incarcerated Death Eaters and apparate back to the ministry. Following the identification of the dead and apprehended Death Eaters, and the reassurance that their injured comrades were going to recover, Ron and Harry had both gone home to their separate houses with a couple more aurors each to put protective wards around their houses, to make sure that Lestrange didn't kill them while they slept.

"This Auror stuff is actually pretty bloody tiring," Ron complained, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair at the kitchen table, his left wrist in a brace, since the bone was still tender and newly-healed.

"Wow, who knew chasing after dark wizards would actually require you to stop eating for more than five minutes," joked Hermione, pouring Ron and herself a cup of tea, and receiving an indignant glare from Ron in reply. "How's your wrist?"

"Completely fine, thanks. You know, I don't know how Harry does it. Spells seem to just bounce off him or something, but he's everywhere at once. He's hard enough to keep track of anyway!" he complained.

Hermione laughed. "You got that one right. He isn't the youngest head of office for nothing, though. Did he get hurt at all?"

"He got a pretty nasty cut on his head when the window exploded – blood all over the place when we got back to the ministry, people thought he'd been seriously injured or something. Even Joanna Palmer wasn't bleeding _that_ much and she's in a pretty bad way – punctured lung and seven broken ribs. Remember her? She was a couple years above us at Hogwarts, burly kind of girl, Hufflepuff, laughed at my Dress Robes at the Yule Ball..."

Hermione laughed again. "Yeah, I remember her. Will she be alright?"

"I hope so. She's at St. Mungo's; the healers say they'll need to get rid of the blood that leaked into her lung, but there was quite a lot of it, so it's difficult for them to keep her breathing while they try to fix the problem. Tricky stuff. Glad I chose to be an auror rather than a healer," Ron speeled off, downing his tea in one.

Hermione rolled her eyes, and poured him another, then sat back down and sipped at her own tea in silence, a small frown on her face. "I thought Lestrange was in Azkaban?" she said after a while.

"He was! That's what's so damn worrying! No warning of a breakout; he's just suddenly back on the streets. Harry's going completely mental about it, apparently Lestrange was sitting in his cell when he went with Kingsley to do the annual Azkaban check-up thingy a couple of days ago," said Ron, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Poor Harry," said Hermione, also with a look of concern on her face, "he's only been head of office for a little over a year. And we both know how seriously he takes this kind of thing, so _he's_ going to be working overtime which will make _Ginny_ start worrying and fretting, which will probably make _you_ start to worry about _her,_ which will make _me_ worried for all three of you... Oh, what a disaster!"

Ron stared at Hermione as if she was speaking a different language, but was spared having to work out what in the name of Merlin she had just said by a beautiful young Barn Owl swooping in through the open kitchen window and landing gracefully on the table where Ron and Hermione were sitting, holding out his leg with a pleased expression on his face.

"Gizmo!" they both exclaimed at the sudden arrival of Harry and Ginny's owl. They were both feeling slightly worried and surprised. Hermione reached forward and untied the scroll of parchment from Gizmo's leg. The Barn Owl stuck his beak into the teapot briefly, before hooting merrily and soaring off out the window again.

Hermione quickly unrolled the parchment, not knowing what to expect, given all that was going on with the Death Eaters. The letter was quite repetitive and hastily scrawled, but after glancing over it, Hermione sighed with relief, and read it out loud.

_Hermione and Ron-_

_Sorry if I got you worried by randomly sending a letter at nine pm. This news could probably survive until tomorrow, but I felt that it was a piece of good news to lighten the mood a bit, and I don't think I could have waited until tomorrow anyway._

_You see... I don't know how to put this, my mind is racing! Alright,here goes: You two are going to be godparents! As well as aunt and uncle! And, most of all, me and Ginny are going to be parents! She gave me the news when I finally got home this afternoon, and I was unable to refrain myself from sending Gizmo around to pretty much everyone we know letting them know the news. Apparently it's been about a month already, so come eight months from now..._

_I'm too excited for words. I'd never imagined doing something as normal as having children. Oh, god, the _Prophet's_ going to have a field day with this news if it gets out... it probably wasn't a good idea to sent Gizmo around to everyone..._

_Oh well. I don't suppose it really matters._

_If you're planning on dropping by, Ginny would be happy to see you. She hasn't seen anyone except me and the doctor for a few days._

_Harry._

_P.S. She wants her casserole dish back, too. It was her best one and we haven't seen it since last Christmas._

_P.P.S. If my calculations are correct (which they probably aren't), our child will be born around the beginning of May. Wouldn't it be ironic if he/she was born on May 2__nd__ like Victoire? I hope not... it would just be too much..._

Hermione got to the bottom of the page and looked up at Ron, her eyes wide and her mouth open in surprise. She then squealed with delight. "Oh my goodness! This is brilliant news! Ron, we have to go congratulate them and return Ginny's casserole dish!" she said excitedly, but then noticed the expression on Ron's face. His mouth was hanging open in surprise, but there was a vaguely familiar angry glint in his eye; a glint she had seen once before when they were seventeen... "Er... Ron? Are you alright?"

Ron suddenly stood up, knocking his chair backwards, his expression suddenly one of complete rage; the very same expression she had seen on his face after the angry glint in his eye last time...

"Ron?" Hermione squeaked fearfully.

"That bastard got my sister knocked up," he said quietly, his voice low and frightening.

"Ron! They're married! What do you expect? We're probably going to be having children soon too, and I'm pretty sure Ginny would have a completely different reaction as opposed to... this..." Hermione reasoned in a small, consoling voice, but Ron's expression did not soften. He appeared not to have heard her at all. He furiously kicked aside his chair, and strode out the door, through the lounge, through the front door, and towards the picket gate on the other side of the garden, beyond which he would be able to disapparate.

"Ron!" yelled Hermione, grabbing Ginny's casserole dish from the cupboard then chasing after him. She tried grabbing his arm and pulling him back to the house, but he shook her off, wrenched the gate open, and disapparated with a fierce _crack. _"Ugh! He hasn't changed a bit!" whined Hermione, following suit and disapparating to where she knew he'd gone; Godric's Hollow.

The suffocating blackness lifted itself and Hermione found herself in the middle of a cobbled road, lit vaguely by moonlight. She looked around frantically and spotted a dark Ron-shaped figure stalking off down the road. She sighed, rolling her eyes in an exasperated way, and ran after him. She had almost reached him when he turned into one of the cottages lining the streets, pushing the gate open with the force of an angry bull. He hammered on the door with similar force.

Inside the cottage, Harry was sitting on the couch with his feet up on the glass coffee table. There was a cup of tea in his hands, and his eyes were closed. He looked quite exhausted; his messy hair was even messier than usual, and there were faint, purple rings under his eyes. He was quite content, but also very concerned. Escaped Death Eaters was the last thing he needed, especially when there were absolutely no signs of an escape from Azkaban, and their leader had supposedly been in his cell two days ago. He had gone over the possibility that there could be an imposter, disguised by polyjuice potion, and tomorrow would have to go back to Azkaban to investigate this theory. Even though they no longer employed the use of dementors as guards, visits to the Wizard Prison were not exactly enjoyable. There was just something thoroughly depressing about the dark island in the middle of a stormy sea.

However, being an auror was what Harry had chosen to do, and most wanted to be, and he wasn't going to give up on it because of something a bit more troublesome than usual. He sometimes missed playing Quidditch, though. He used to play at community matches on weekends, but since becoming head of office, he could no longer find the time.

Suddenly, he heard a bang from the direction of the garden gate, and he tensed as his eyes flew open. Death Eaters?

No, it can't be, Harry thought, they wouldn't be able to get through the protective wards.

There were three house-shuddering bangs on the front door (Definitely not a death eater, they wouldn't knock, thought Harry), and Ginny appeared at the top of the stairs, her toothbrush in her hand. Harry shrugged at her then stepped around the coffee table to open the door, his hand on his wand in his pocket just in case. Cautiously, he turned the handle and pulled open the door.

As soon as Harry's slightly worried face appeared, Ron pulled back his fist, then launched it forwards, making contact with Harry's nose with a sickening crunch. Harry fell backwards, his head making contact with the sharp edge of the coffee table and creating another gash on top of his head.

"RON!" Hermione shouted from the garden, having finally caught up. Ron fumbled in his pockets for his wand, but before he could pull it out, there was a yell of "_Stupefy!_" and he was blasted off his feet, landing on the grass at Hermione's feet. Hermione looked down at him, then looked up to see Ginny standing behind the couch, her wand pointed at Ron and an expression of shock and fury on her face.

Hermione left Ron and the casserole dish lying on the grass and rushed inside to help Harry.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, dropping to her knees beside him. "I'm so sorry! I tried to stop him! I didn't even expect this kind of reaction from him!"

Harry sat up groggily, and she and Ginny helped him back to the couch. "Let me guess," started Ginny, looking at Hermione, her voice shaking with fury, "he's angry that I'm pregnant, right?"

"I think so," sighed Hermione, examining Harry's now blood-congealed hair for the gash. "He just said 'that bastard got my sister knocked up', and stalked off."

Harry groaned, "I should have expected this kind of reaction. Remember at our wedding, when he put the impediment jinx on me when I kissed Ginny? I thought he might have grown up a bit now that he's married himself..." he sighed and pointed his own wand at his nose. "_Episkey,_" he said, and his nose automatically straightened itself out.

"It's not _your_ fault, Harry," said Ginny firmly, her voice still shaking slightly, "my god damned hypocritical brother doesn't like me having a life of my own."

Hermione sighed again and finished healing the gash on Harry's head. She then pointed her wand at his face. "_Tergeo," _(the blood disappeared. "Thanks," mumbled Harry) "Do you think we should bring him round? Maybe tie him up first, though, so we don't get attacked?"

Ginny shrugged. "I guess. I found a new hex yesterday and I need someone to try it out on."

Harry snorted and shook his head at his wife. "While you two are doing that, I think I'll go have a shower. This is the third time I've been covered in blood today; Will Davids put nosebleed nougat in my lunch, if you were wondering.

Hermione and Ginny looked at each other, their eyebrows raised, as Harry set off up the stairs to shower. Hermione then pointed her wand at Ron through the open front door, causing him to rise off the ground, drift in through the front door, and then plop down into an armchair. Ginny then pointed her wand at him, and said "_Incarcerous_," then "_Enervate_."

Ron's eyelids fluttered, and he looked over at Ginny and Hermione staring at him angrily.

"Er-" he started.

"Is there any particular reason," interrupted Ginny, "why you thought it necessary to attack my husband for getting me pregnant _despite_ the fact that we're _married_ and _I can take care of myself?_"

Ron winced as if she had slapped him, and kept his eyes on Ginny's wand, which was pointed at his face. "I-I guess I overreacted a bit. Didn't-didn't think-"

"No, you didn't think, Ronald. I don't think Harry really appreciated being smacked in the face after the day he's had," said Hermione, looking at Ron with disappointment on her face; an expression that made Ron feel extremely guilty. He _had_ been pretty illogical, it wasn't like they were teenagers or something; they were married adults, and were perfectly entitled to make their own decisions. And besides, Harry was his best friend (and his boss); he was supposed to trust him.

He sighed, frowning. "I'm really, truly, honestly, sorry. I should have thought it through."

Hermione looked at him carefully, then after scrutinising his expression, pointed her wand at the ropes. "_Diffindo_." They fell away, "_Evanesco._" Then they vanished.

Ron straightened up in his seat and smiled at Hermione in thanks. Hermione smiled back, but Ginny still looked furious, her wand still pointed at Ron's face. Ron's smile turned into a grimace. Ginny whispered something, and Ron's ears started to twitch violently. He yelped and put his hands over them, squishing them flat.

Hermione snorted. "Twitchy ear hex?" she asked Ginny with mild interest. Ginny's expression of anger disappeared, and she grinned evilly.

"Yep, it was in the _Prophet_; Humorous Hex of the Week. I've been wanting to try it out..." she laughed.

Hermione joined in her laughing as they watched Ron try to stop his ears moving. "I wonder what would happen if you mixed it with a Bat Bogey Hex?"

Ginny's eyes lit up at the thought, and she turned her wand on Ron again. Suddenly, his face was covered with flapping wings, and he fell onto the floor trying to get them off and stop his ears twitching at the same time. Ginny and Hermione were in stitches watching him struggle. So much, in fact, that neither of them noticed Ron draw his wand (with difficulty), and yell "_TARANTALLEGRA!"_

Ginny's legs started to do a jerky dance, and Hermione laughed even harder as she fell onto the floor, unable to control them.

At that moment, Harry came down the stairs and looked upon the scene in bemusement.

"Er..." he said, feeling incredibly worried for the sanity of his wife and brother and sister in law. "Do I even want to know?"

No one answered. What a surprise.

Shaking his head with an amused expression on his face, he waved his wand and said "_Finite Incantatem._"

Ginny's legs abruptly stopped jerking about, and Ron's ears stopped twitching and his bogeys returned to normal size and shape, but they all were still rolling around laughing. Eventually, they all quietened down enough to notice that Harry was there.

"Oh! Hel-lo, Harry!" hiccoughed Ginny, "We were just tea-ching Ron how to beha-ave."

"By rolling around on the floor clutching his face?" Harry laughed. He sat down again, and looked at Hermione. Her face was bright red with the effort of not bursting out laughing again. "You alright, Hermione?" he said cautiously. She nodded, causing a spurt of giggles to burst out. Harry shook his head, and looked at Ron. His expression turned sincere.

"I'm sorry, I-" he started.

"Shut up," Harry interrupted.

"No, really, I-"

"Shut up," Harry repeated. "It's fine, I understand. I should know by now that you generally don't think before you act; I'm the same."

Ron grimaced, then they both stood up and hugged.

"Congratulations, mate," Ron said, when they pulled away. "Really. That's what I should have said in the first place, not socked you in the face. I should be honoured that you're making me godfather."

Harry grinned, "Thanks, mate. I'm looking forward to when you and Hermione make me the godfather of your child."

Ron grinned back, "Aren't you greedy! You're already godfather to Teddy!"

The two men laughed.

"That reminds me," said Ginny, in a thoughtful tone, "Teddy's coming to stay here next week, and Andromeda said he really wants to go camping, could you...?"

Harry nodded. "I'll see if I can get us off on the weekend."

"'Us'?" questioned Ron.

"Well I thought you might like to come, too," said Harry simply, grinning at Ron again.

"Oh! Yeah! I'd love to!"

"That _is_ a good idea, then me and Ginny could go shopping or something," inputted Hermione.

Ginny smiled. "That's that settled, then. Oh, and did you bring my casserole dish back?"

"Oh! Yes, I did!" said Hermione. "_Accio Casserole Dish."_

The dish flew through the door, which was still open for some reason. Ginny caught it, and went to put it away in the kitchen. Harry yawned hugely, which prompted Ron to do the same.

"We'd better get going then," said Hermione, standing up and walking over to Ron "It's been a big day for all of us."

"Alright," said Harry, smiling and hugging Hermione and Ron again. Ginny came back in and hugged them too, then Ron slung an arm around Hermione, and they set off down the garden path, through the gate, and disapparated with a resounding _crack_.

Ginny closed the door behind them and looked at Harry, who looked even more tired than before.

"Bed. Now," she said forcefully. Harry laughed, kissed her goodnight, and went upstairs to bed after one freaking long and eventful day.


End file.
